Ralos and Lydia - Meet the Dovahkiins
by trugamer71
Summary: Ralos and Lydia must team up again to recover his powers and save she-who-should-not-be-saved... his sister.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello, fine readers of fantasy! This is a continuation of my first story: Ralos Ravenclaw-Dragonborn. If you have not read it, it was a fictionalized account of my playthrough of the main storyline of ESV:Skyrim. Ralos was an arrogant, skooma-addicted braggart who was equally matched by a take-no-shit housecarl named Lydia. They fought, saved each other many times and in many different ways, and by the end realized they were meant for each other. Here is what happened a few months later..._

Chapter 1

"You're seriously going to eat that whole bushel of apples?"

Ralos Ravenclaw eyed the basket of fruit in his wife's lap almost as hungrily as he did her ample cleavage hovering over it. His gaze alternated between them and his horse's path on the road. It had been a long, boring carriage ride already from Rorikstead and his stomach was starting to growl like a cornered fox. He had gone as Thane of Whiterun to settle a dispute over the borders of neighboring apple orchards. After wasting the better part of a day listening to the inane squabbling of irate farmers, all he had to show for his efforts was a sore ass and a trail of apple cores, none of which he had created.

Lydia grinned and tossed another decimated apple over her shoulder. "The farmer said they were for me as I was the only one with any real sense. You would all still be arguing if I hadn't stepped in."

"You just distracted them with your tunic open like that."

"It's hot."

"They would have agreed with anything you said as long as you were willing to waggle those in front of them."

Lydia grinned knowingly. "Still can't resist them, can you?" She wedged an apple between her breasts. "You want one? Come and get it."

Ralos growled, but not from hunger. He checked the road in front of him. The horse should be able to maintain a straight line for a while. "You don't have to tell me twice, woman." He tied off the reins and dove head first into his wife's bouncing chest, making only a fair attempt at the red apple.

"Oh, my," Lydia said, "I'm getting wet."

Ralos glanced up at her face, "Really? And I've only just begun."

Lydia smacked him on the top of his head, "No, pig, I mean it's starting to rain."

Ralos reluctantly pulled away from her and felt the rain pelting him in the face.

"Well," Lydia said, "Do something, Dragonborn. My good mood is fading with the sun."

"Oh, that's right. We can't let that happen now can we?" Ralos sat back and cupped his hands around his mouth. "LOK VAH KOOR!"

The Clear Skies shout took only a few moments to take effect. The rain stopped and the clouds disappeared. Sunlight once again bathed the land around them. Ralos smiled.

"Your wish is my command, Mrs. Dovahkiin."

"Save the lies, Ralos. I'm sure you could find something more useful to do with your tongue."

Ralos leaned towards her again but instead ended up falling forward and out of the carriage as it came to an abrupt halt. He turned his fall into a roll but he still ended up sitting in the dusty road. "What the Hells?"

"Was that you that done stopped the rain with your shouting?"

Ralos peeked around his horse to see who had talked. A wiry, sunburnt farmer was there holding onto his horse's reins. Ralos picked himself up. "Why, yes, citizen. No need to thank me. Just doing my job as Dragonborn and Thane of Whiterun."

"What the Hells are you talking about, you blithering idiot?" the farmer yelled back. "I've been waiting for that rain all week! Look at the ground. It's drier than a hagraven's crow's nest."

"Gross," Lydia said.

Ralos tried not to laugh by clearing his throat. "I'm sorry. My wife wanted it to stop raining..."

"That's right," Lydia said, "blame me."

"But, not to worry, citizen. I am the Dragonborn. There is no problem I can not, eh, well, un-fix. Stand back. STRUN BAH QO!"

As the shout reverberated across the fields, the sky began to darken. The farmer looked around, astonished.

"One rain storm, as requested," Ralos said, climbing back into the carriage. Lydia dumped the remaining apples into the back of the carriage and placed the bushel over her head.

The farmer looked pleased as the rain began to fall. Suddenly a bolt of lightning struck the ground near the farmer's barn. "What the Hells is going on?" Another bolt struck, this one lighting up a nearby cow who mooed pathetically, then fell over, smoking. "Bessy!"

"Oops," Ralos muttered, "Time to go. Hiya! Hiya!"

His horse quickly picked up its pace as the farmer chased after the carriage.  
"Come back here and stop this mess, you damn, big-mouthed, ill-bred hooligan! You owe me a cow! You won't get away with..."

Another bolt of lightning struck. Ralos chose not to look back to see if it was the reason for the farmer's sudden silence. Lydia shook her head beneath the damp bushel.

"What?" Ralos said, "Maybe next time you'll just give me an apple. Women."


	2. Chapter 2 - She Who Should Not Be Saved

Chapter 2

Ralos finally caught sight of Dragonsreach and tried to relax. He was still starving even after eating a couple of apples since no tasty game had traipsed anywhere near the road for him to nail with his bow. He had caught sight of a couple of skeevers which he and Lydia took out with ease without even slowing the carriage. He was not about to eat those, though. He wanted nothing to do with those rodents again after partaking of a skeever and leek stew in Iverstead. The innkeeper wouldn't say who had made it, but Ralos suspected Narfi had a hand in it. Who knows where that hand had bee? Lydia had a second bowl, but that was no real indication.

Their carriage came to the top of a hill and Ralos heard fighting before he saw it. He spotted another carriage beside the road with a broken wheel. A single man was battling against three dirty bandits, keeping them at bay from the covered carriage. He swung an iron battleaxe in wide sweeps to keep them away from whoever was inside. The bandits danced around him, laughing and poking at him with rusty swords. Ralos heard Lydia gnash her teeth.

"Shall we show these bandits what awaits them in our land?" Ralos asked.

"Just get me close enough so I can watch them laugh again before I send their heads flying."

"That's my girl."

Ralos snapped the reins and his horse, a stout white stallion named Frost, leapt towards the fray.

The bandits ceased their torments against the driver once they noticed the interloper racing towards them. One of the bandits hung his sword in a loop in his belt and pulled a bow from around his shoulders.

Ralos did not wait to see how good the scumbag's aim was. "YOL TOOR SHUL!"

A ball of fire emanated from Ralos and hurtled towards the archer. It caught him full in the face. He fell to the ground and started pounding at the flames, which happened to engulf the entire top half of his body. The other bandits stared at their writhing partner in shock. The driver recovered first, however, and drove the tip of his battleaxe through the stomach of the closest bandit, a brutishly ugly orc, even for his kind.

"Nobody skewers an orc," he managed to say until the driver twisted his weapon then ripped it up and out.

The remaining bandit, a spindly bosmer, left his dead and dying cohorts and broke into a run. Lydia stood in the driver's box of the still moving carriage and leveled her ebony bow at him. Her arrow flew true and punctured the back of his right leg. He fell face first into the dirt road.

Ralos kept the carriage going until he pulled alongside the crawling elf. Lydia jumped down and followed him for a bit until finally kicking him over onto his back.

"Mercy, huntress!" he whimpered, "I was forced to participate! I meant no harm to anyone. Please, mercy!"

Lydia had to calm herself. The elf was truly a pathetic sight. "Well, perhaps. I should let the Jarl decide your punishment, though it turns my stomach to think you might live. Do not move while I fetch some rope to tie your hands."

Ralos watched from the carriage and shouted at Lydia, "Behind you!"

Lydia did not bother to turn. She dove sideways and rolled. She barely saw the knife as it just missed her head. She stood and unsheathed her sword.

"Mercy!" the elf cried out again, "I was weak! I was scared! I'm too pretty for the dungeons!"

Lydia stalked towards the groveling bandit. "Pretty? Perhaps all you need is a haircut. A little off the top?"

Lydia's sword severed the bandit's head from his neck, barely making a sound. She wiped her blade on his dingy clothes. "Problem solved, thieving scum."

Ralos met her halfway to the carriage. "Well?" he asked, smiling.

"Well what?"

"How about, 'Thank you' for warning you about that turd with the knife?"

"Oh, I see," Lydia wrapped her arms around Ralos' neck. "I could thank you now, or I could really thank you later."

"What was I thinking? No time for 'thank you' now," Ralos said, "we're on a schedule, woman."

The driver cautiously approached them. "Thank you so much, both of you. I thought we were doomed to die at the hands of those ruffians."

Ralos faced the driver, a tall, scrappy Nord by the rugged set of his chin. "All in a day's work for the modest beyond measure Thane of Whiterun."

"The Thane? How fortuitous. My passenger was on her way to see the Thane of Whiterun."

"Her?" Ralos repeated, a smile twitching across his mouth, "Don't keep the lady waiting. I'm sure the wait to meet me must be excruciating for her."

A woman appeared from behind the driver. She was tall, with short hair and wearing a red silk dress. "The wait is not nearly as excruciating as the sight of you."

"Gah!" Ralos yelled, his smile turning sour. "How did you track me down?"

Lydia stepped slightly in front of her husband. "Who is this, Ralos, one of your drunken dalliances from before? I hadn't realized how low your standards had been. I should have made you try harder to get some of this."

"Dalliance?" the woman said, "Now not only do my eyes hurt but I'm going to be sick."

"No, Lydia," Ralos said, "This unfortunate mess is no ex-lover. This is Minerva, my sister."


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

"Sister?" Lydia said, "The one who caused you to get run out of your homeland and nearly got you killed by the Imperials?"

"The very same," Ralos assured her.

Lydia quickly stepped up to Minerva and before the woman could react, grabbed her in a big hug.

Minerva was too surprised to speak. Once she was let back down, she said, "This was not exactly the reception I was expecting. I half expected Ralos to try to kill me or throw me to a pack of his skooma-ruined friends."

"Some months ago that might have happened," Lydia said, looking over her sister-in-law for the first time. "But not now. Ralos has rid himself of his skooma habit and I have you to thank for sending him here. If you had not interfered, he would never have found his way to Skyrim, and to me."

Minerva stood taller, smoothing out her dress. She tilted her head back to better look down her nose. "And you are?"

Lydia smiled and wrapped her arm around Ralos' waist. "My name is Lydia, Ralos' wife."

"Wife!" Minerva lost her composure for a moment, "Oh, won't mother and father be shocked by this news? This may just put them in the ground for good this time. First we hear of this Dragonborn nonsense and now you've gone and married some broad-hipped brute. Was it a cross-bow wedding?"

Ralos was glad Lydia was close enough to be able to hold her back. Even so, his wife nearly broke through his grip. "It's not worth it, Lydia, now settle down. Don't make me use my Calm shout, woman."

Lydia shot him a look of warning glare but ceased her struggles. "You better set your smart-ass sister straight before I make that pretty red dress a little more red."

Lydia stalked away towards the bandits they had taken down. The driver had already begun searching through their pockets for coin.

"Bit high strung, isn't she," Minerva said, "Perhaps it's all the emotions that come with being pregnant?"

"She's not pregnant, Minnie. We're married because we wanted to be. We went through a lot together and, hey, what do you mean 'dragonborn nonsense'? I am the Dragonborn. Did you not just see me breathe fire at that bandit? He went up like a smelly torch."

"Your breath always could curl someone's hair. And don't call me Minnie. I am no child. Look, is there someplace we can go to talk? I did not come all the way here to exchange pleasantries alongside the road."

Ralos scratched his head. Pleasantries? Minerva had always had more balls than most of his male friends but this was just reckless. Did she think being family meant he should just forget that she arranged to have him arrested and most likely killed?

"Why should I give you even another moment of my time?" he asked her.

Minerva looked around and stepped closer to lower her voice. "Because rumor has it that someone very powerful is looking for you. And if they find you, they'll kill you."

Ralos scoffed, "You expect me to believe you give a falmer's foot about whether I live or die?"

Minerva's lips thinned visibly, "I'll admit I am not here entirely of my own free will. Our parents told me to come and made it clear there would be... consequences if I refused or failed to deliver my message."

"Well, then, thank you, Minnie. You've told me. Now go home, before I forget I am the law around here and do something nasty to someone who deserves it."

"There's more..."

"Not interested."

"If you are in danger then that means your little wife is in danger, too."

Ralos stopped. He clenched his fists to keep from turning on her.

"If you want to know more," Minerva continued, "then we need to talk in private. I assume you have a home of some sort here?"

Ralos turned back to his sister, "If this is some sort of game you're playing I'll warn you now. At the first hint of trouble towards Lydia, I'll crush you and anyone else you are in league with. Understood? Good. Now get in the back of the carriage."

Minerva's face scrunched up, "The carriage? You must be..."

"Or walk. I don't care. Lydia! We're leaving, and we've got a guest."

While Minerva cautiously picked her way onto the carriage, Lydia pulled Ralos aside.

"You can't be serious? You should send her to the dungeons, not our home."

"I don't like it either, believe me, but she said she has news about a danger to both of us. I don't trust her, but I'll listen. Then I'll send her on her way home. And Lydia, keep your knife handy."


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

The short ride to Whiterun was blissfully quiet and Ralos was relieved his appetite had returned. He dropped the carriage off at the stables and the silence continued all the way to the gates. Ralos instructed one of the gate guards to take care of the smoldering bodies back in the road. The faceless guard saluted and ran off to do his bidding. Ralos was pleased to notice Minerva raise an eyebrow at the exchange. That was as close to praise as he had ever seen from her. The other guard opened the gate for them.

"We're going up to the Bannered Mare first," Ralos said to his sister. "We've been on the road all day and need food before we pass out."

Minerva kept pace behind Ralos and Lydia, taking in the sights of Whiterun as night closed in. "Buying food? Doesn't your wife cook for you? Or are her hands too blistered from her sword?"

Ralos quickly put his arm around Lydia's waist and held tight. He laughed, "Of course she can cook, Minnie. And what a, eh, wonderful cook she is. Time is the important factor right now and I do not wish to wait for it to be prepared."

Lydia gritted her teeth and mumbled, "I'll give her a few blisters, right on her fat pompous ass."

Ralos laughed again, for real this time, and picked up the pace to the inn before Lydia made good on her threat.

They entered the Bannered Mare and were instantly greeted by the patrons.  
"Thane!" they all shouted.

Ralos smiled and waved back. The inn's bard, Mikael, stood by the roaring fire in the middle of the room and caught his attention.

"So, Thane. Learn any new shouts?" he asked.

"Just one, but only to be used on barmaids. LOSE...THE-SHIRT!"

Mikael nearly fell over laughing as Ralos punched him in the arm. Lydia rolled her eyes and went over to Hulda at the counter to order their food.

"What can I get for you?" the innkeeper asked.

"Two beef shanks, potatoes, vegetable stew, three boiled creme treats, and three ales," Lydia turned to Minerva, "You and Ralos can order for yourselves. Get whatever you want."

Minerva's mouth hung open, "You mean that was all for you? Yikes, girl. I've seen ice trolls pack away less."

"Whatever. We can't all be darlings afraid to show off a few curves. Mikael! Favor us with a song!"

Ralos went to order while Mikael picked up his lute.

"I wrote this one knowing our Thane would find it particularly intriguing.  
'Oh, there once was a maiden from the Reach  
About lovemaking she had much to teach  
But she practiced her fine arts with society's dregs  
They say only butter was spread more than her legs'"

A bottle smashed against the pillar next to Mikael's head. Everyone looked at Uthgerd in the corner. The towering, painted warrior looked poised to draw on the shaking bard.

"Uthgerd," Ralos said slowly, "That wasn't very nice."

"Neither was his singing," she replied, easing back into her chair. "My apologies, Thane. I meant no trouble. I just needed to clear my head. Up for a fist fight?"

"Sorry, I have a guest. Maybe next time. Mikael? Perhaps verse two should be a little less grating?"

"Perhaps you're right," Mikael said, gathering his things, "My apologies, Thane."  
Ralos joined his sister at the counter.

"It seems you have managed to mature a bit, brother," Minerva said. "The simple folk here seem to hold you in some sort of regard."

"Please, Minnie, you're going to make me blush. Hulda? Could we get all this put in a basket? I'm taking it back home."

"You mean you ordered food just to take out?" Hulda asked. "I might be onto something there."

Ralos, Lydia, and Minerva left the inn with Ralos carrying the largest basket, mostly Lydia's order which was already shrinking as they walked. A soldier ran up to them.

"Thane. Thank goodness I found you."

"Here now, what's all this about?"

"I'm sorry, but Jarl Balgruuf requested your presence immediately. Something about one of your flying spies?"

"Ah, that must be Loxsaurus. Tell him I'll be right there."

The guard ran off. Ralos handed the basket off to Lydia.

Lydia shifted it around her breastplate, "More burdens to carry, eh?"

"Only back to Breezehome. You and Minerva can eat while I tend to this business. Shouldn't take long."

"Great. Let's go Minnie."

Minerva stood in front of Ralos. "What I have to tell you is very important, Ralos. I'm sure your little sneaky spy can wait."

"Not this one, Minnie, and not if the Jarl insists. Care to meet him? I think you and Balgruuf might just hit it off. You'd probably like his court wizard even better. A real man's man, he is."

Minerva settled down, "Perhaps I should get acquainted with the real nobility here. You never know when distant allies could be needed. Very well, lead on."

"Thank Mara," Lydia said, heading towards their home.

"I have to warn you, Minnie. My spy may not be up to seeing new people, especially a woman."

"I've been taking care of myself for a long time now, Ralos. Your underworld friends don't scare me."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Ralos strode quickly and confidently through the center of Whiterun. Minerva had to lift her dress slightly to keep from tripping over the hem as she tried to keep up. Several people sent greetings towards Ralos, which he merely nodded at or waved. One female cart tender even commented how fine a day it was with him around. Minerva assumed the woman must have been drinking.

"So tell me, brother," Minerva said, partly in an attempt to slow him down, "What exactly did you do to become Thane of this town?"

"I saved the town from being destroyed by a fire-breathing dragon. My first, actually. Ah, you never forget your first."

"Uh huh. These dragons you speak of. Were there any witnesses to these creatures or are they just taking your word for it?"

Ralos stopped at the bottom of the steps leading to Dragonsreach. "You doubt I've been fighting dragons? Are you daft, woman?"

"Come on, Ralos, be serious. Dragons? That's straight out of bedtime stories. You should have stuck with trolls, or chaurus, things people have seen. No one back home has taken these stories seriously."

"I see. So how do you think I became Thane?"

Minerva shrugged. "I don't know. You've obviously done something to earn the respect of these people, but dragons? Next you'll be telling me you went to Sovngarde and came back."

Ralos stammered for a response then finally said, "Would that be so hard to believe? Huh?"

"Let's just go. I'm sure your wife's probably already eaten her share of food and mine."

Ralos sighed and loped up the steps to the keep. He had better things to do than try to prove himself to his little sister. Inside, the Jarl's Housecarl, Irileth met him by the throne. The dark elf looked angry which did not bode well for the Jarl's attitude which usually mirrored hers.

"Good evening, Thane," Irileth said. "I see you've brought someone with you. The Jarl is not receiving visitors right now. He is waiting for you on the Great Porch. Shall I escort this one back to whatever brothel you found her."

"Brothel!" Minerva shouted. "Look here you bug-eyed, pointy-eared..."

"Enough!" Ralos shouted back. "She's coming with me, Irileth. There's someone I want her to meet. I'll explain it to Balgruuf."

Irileth sheathed her sword, which had somehow appeared in her hand. "Fine. But I've got my eye on her."

Ralos dragged his sister away towards the second floor. He ignored her muttered curses and threats towards the Housecarl. He was sure Irileth could take her head off before she could even finish her first taunt. He kept that in mind while he lead her to the Great Porch.

The double doors opened onto an expansive open air chamber. Stairs lead up to a balcony on either side and straight ahead the chamber was open to the night air. Burning sconces and torches lit the porch enough for Ralos to make out Jarl Balgruuf and his stewart, Avenici at the far end. They turned when the doors had opened and waited for him to come to them.

"It's about damn time," Balgruuf said. "What took you so long, Dragonborn?"

"My sincerest apologies, Jarl," Ralos said, "My sister, Minerva, here, surprised me with a visit and I only just heard you were looking for me."

"Sister?" Balgruuf said. "She doesn't look anything like you described. Her face looks nothing like a horse's..."

"As I was saying," Ralos quickly continued, "She is visiting so I'd like to get this over with. So what's this about?"

Avenici stepped forward, his hands clapsed behind his back, "Your spy has returned with news, Thane."

Minerva stopped giving Ralos a sour stare in order to look around the porch. She saw no one else present. So why did they bother to come out here?

"She said she would not come until you called for her," Balgruuf said. "I still do not care to be in their presence so we will take our leave before meet with her. Try not to wake the whole town this time with your shouting. Come along, Proventus."

Ralos let them leave. He knew they would only be in the way and there was only one person he cared to impress right now.

"So where is this little spy of yours, Ralos?" Minerva asked, folding her arms in front of her.

"She'll only come if I call her. Excuse me a moment. POHR-KIS-DAHL!"

Ralos' shout echoed out over the town.

"Was that necessary?" Minerva said, holding her ears. "We all know you've got a big mouth."

A faint roar could be heard. Minerva tilted her head, unsure of what the noise had been. There was another roar and something big and dark rushed past the porch opening.

"What in oblivion was that?" Minerva said, taking a step back.

"What? That?" Ralos said. "Oh, nothing. Say hello to my little friend."

A large blood dragon swept down from out of the darkness and suddenly landed on the edge of the Great Porch. It opened its toothy maw and breathed a roaring gout of fire into the air.

Minerva shrieked and fell over herself in her headlong rush back towards the keep. Her shriek did not stop until it was cut off by the double doors slamming behind her.

Ralos had to pick himself up as well, but he had fallen down laughing at his sister's reaction. Tears ran down his face as he patted the dragon on the side of its neck. "Oh my goodness," Ralos said, "I laughed so hard I nearly pissed myself."

The dragon puffed, "Was it something I said, Deary?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Pohrkisdahl craned her long neck down to Ralos. The torches made her scales a bright red. "My apologies, dear Dohvakiin. I did not intend to frighten the female. Was she one of yours?"

Ralos wiped the tears from his eyes. "Not how you mean, Pohra. She's my sister."

"Sister? Then I am doubly shamed."

"Not at all. I wanted her to soil her dress in fear. There were some things I needed to clear up with her attitude towards me and this should work just fine. You weren't jealous, were you?"

The dragon puffed a cloud of smoke from her nostrils, "Certainly not. You will come to love me in your own time, dear. Until then I was merely going to say I prefer you to be with that other mate, that Lydia woman. She has a fire of her own in her belly. Much more suitable for you."

"I think so, too. Pardon me."

Ralos jogged back to door to find Minerva. As soon as he opened the door, he found Minerva in the arms of Farengar, Balgruuf's wizard. His hood was down as he patted her back. The wizard looked confused, but Ralos also noticed that did not stop him from gawking down at her cleavage. He saw Ralos and held his hands out.

"Thane, do you know this hysterical woman?"

Minerva looked up and saw Ralos smiling at her. Her attitude changed in an instant. She pushed Farengar away. I am no hysterical woman, wizard," she said, wagging a finger in his face. "And next time you put your hands on me I'll have them broken, chopped off, and fed to a nest of skeevers."

"Wha...but, you ran into me."

Minerva turned her back on him. "Begone, lech. So, brother, it appears I owe you an apology."

Ralos ignored her, "It's all right, Farengar. This is my sister, Minerva."

"Your sister? That explains a lot. Petulance can be a family trait."

"As you say. Nice rack, huh?"

Farengar inadvertently glanced back down at Minerva's chest, then his face turned red as Minerva saw him. She gasped and slapped his bearded face.

"Lech! Come along, brother. Perhaps your dragon friend is hungry for Peeping Wizard Stew!"

"Dragon?" Farengar squeaked. The wizard sprinted for the stairs, no doubt to hide in his quarters.

Ralos shook his head, "I'd wonder about his manhood if it hadn't been on display once for the whole castle to see. Long story."

"I doubt that," Minerva said, wiggling a pinkie. "So, are you ready to go?"

"Oh, no. You're not getting off that easy. She wants to see you."

"She who?"

"Pohrkisdahl. My little friend you ran screaming from. The one with the fire?"

"That's not necessary. Eh, I'm allergic to lizards."

Ralos grabbed her arm and pulled his sister towards the porch. "You'll be fine. It's not wise to be rude to a dragon. That includes calling them lizards."

Pohrkisdahl was still waiting patiently as Ralos pulled Minerva to within speaking distance.

"Minerva, this is Pohrkisdahl. Pohrkisdahl, Minerva."

"Nice to meet one of the Dragonborn's brood," the dragon said, her voice low and smooth, for a dragon.

Minerva's mouth dropped open. "You can talk?"

Pohrkisdahl tilted her head, snorted, then looked questioningly at Ralos.

"Forgive her, Pohra, she's new around here. How about we get on with your report before Balgruuf has a fit? Do you have news about the Blades' movements?"

"No, Dragonborn. The Blades have gone into hiding it seems, at least for now. We've had them on the run lately. I came to report on a new group of rebels who have been canvasing Skyrim asking questions about you and where to find you."

"Ah, yes. It's probably that cult I've heard rumors about, the ones with the fish-face masks on saying I'm the false Dragonborn. Not to worry."

"Not to argue, Deary," Pohrkisdahl said, "but I know of the ones you speak and these are different. They wear black hoods and worse, their armor is mixed with dragonscales. Their features have even been altered to look like dragons. Vile, they are."

"They sound like the ones I came to warn you of," Minerva said, finally breaking from her trance of the dragon's presence. "If they've come this quickly, they must know where you are."

Ralos nodded, "Let them come. I've faced worse and come through with my enemy's heads flying through the air like wine corks. What else can you tell of this new threat, Pohra?"

"They are crunchy," She grinned wickedly. Minerva took a step back.

"Thank you, Pohrkisdahl," Ralos said. "Your services will be sung in the ballads of Bards for centuries."

"My pleasure, Dragonborn Deary. Sister Dohva."

The dragon hopped onto the porch's railing and dropped into the air, swooping close to the ground, sending several citizens fleeing in terror. Ralos turned back to his sister.

"It seems we have more to discuss, Minnie. I hope at least now you'll understand I am not the fool I was when you last saw me."

"Perhaps. You are still my little brother, however, so don't think I have to do anything you say and I expect you to listen to my every word. I am not one your mindless followers."

"Hmm, a woman who doesn't listen to me and thinks I should do everything she says. I can't imagine what that's like. Let's go join Lydia. She'll want to hear this, too."


End file.
